SEAIR Plane swerves off-runway at RPLL

Blames sudden Crosswind for incident!
August 24, 2009

Courtesy of GMANews.TV

An Aircraft of South East Asian Airline suffered landing glitch Sunday noon after it veered right off runway 13 while landing at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The 32 seater Dornier Do-328-100 with registration RP-C6328 was performing flight DG-024 from Caticlan to Manila when wind shear forced the plane to veered off course to the right and stopped on soft ground abeam taxiways N4/D3.

The plane carried 32 passengers and 3 crew. No injuries were reported. Passengers were subsequently brought to the domestic terminal by bus where medical examinations were taken to the passengers before they were cleared to go says Avelino Zapanta, president of Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR).

Seair said that the Do-328 had landed and slowed normally and was about to taxi off the runway, when it caught a sudden gust of wind causing it to veer off the runway ending up on soft ground.

Zapanta said he does not see the incident to affect the airline's business.

“It is a natural phenomenon. There was wind crossing. The aircraft is ok," he said.

Also known as wind gradient, a wind shear affects air speed during landing and taking off.

SEAIR’s Dornier 328 also suffered a heavy landing at Caticlan airport sometime in July this year causing its tire to burst on touchdown due to the same wind condition.